Their names are synonymous with evil.
Their psychologies have been studied and analyzed.
Their deeds range from theft and assault to mass murder and attempted genocide.
A hero is only as endearing as the villains they face, rising to the challenge their do-gooding nemesis has posed to them, ready to meet them on their own terms.
And in the realm of comic books, no collection of nefarious scoundrels stands as true to that sentiment as the Batman Rogues Gallery.
Nearly all of his central villains are as world renowned as the dark knight himself, developing over the span of decades into fully-fleshed characters in their own right, complete with enriched back stories of tragedy and motivations embroiled in psychosis.
In many ways, a lot of the villains endured the same catalyst of crime and violence as Bruce Wayne. The difference resides in the choices they made, refusing to take responsibility for their own lives and instead deciding to point a finger of blame at a world they now intend to conquer, to break or to simply drive as mad as they are.
The exhibition is proud to rank 25 of Chas Blankenship's favorite members of the dark knight's rogues gallery, complete with first appearances, alias', a selection of the top 3 stories and (if possible) any prominent DCAU (DC Animated Universe) episodes to showcase the absolute prime of all that these costumed criminals have to offer:
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25: Julian Gregory Day - Calander Man ("Detective Comics" #259)
1: "The Misfits" ("Shadow of the Bat" #7 - #9)
2: "Batman: The Long Halloween"
3: "All the Deadly Days" (80 Page Giant "Batman" (2000))
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24: Maximillian Zeus - Maxie Zeus ("Detective Comics" #483)
Prominent Stories:
1: "The Wrath of Zeus" ("Batman and the Outsiders" #14)
2: "War of the Gods" ("Batman" #470)
3: "Messenger of Zeus" ("Batman" #481)
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "Fire from Olympus" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
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23: Cornelius Stirk ("Detective Comics" #592)
Prominent Stories:
1: "The Fear" ("Detective Comics" #592 - #593)
2: "The Waxman and the Clown" ("Shadow of the Bat" #80 - #82)
3: "Knightfall" Part V: "Night Terrors" ("Batman" #494)
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22: Arnold Wesker - The Ventriloquist and Scarface ("Detective Comics" #583)
Prominent Stories:
1: "The Return of Scarface" ("Batman" #475 - #476/"Detective Comics" #642)
2: "DC Comics Showcase '94" (#8 - #9)
3: "Batman/Scarface: A Psychodrama"
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "Read My Lips" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "Catwalk" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
3: "Double Talk" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
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21: Garfield Lynns - Firefly ("Detective Comics" #184)
Prominent Stories:
1: "The Human Firefly" ("Detective Comics" #184)
2: "Knightfall" Part VI - "City on Fire" ("Detective Comics" #661)
3: "Hush Money" ("Batman: The Streets of Gotham" #1–4, "Detective Comics" #852, "Batman" #685)
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "Torch Song" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
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20: Jervis Tetch - The Mad Hatter ("Batman" #49)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Headhunt by a Mad Hatter" ("Detective Comics" #510)
2: "Through the Looking Glass" ("Detective Comics" #787)
3: "Batman: Haunted Knight"
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "Mad as a Hatter" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "Perchance to Dream" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
3: "The Worry Men" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
4: "Animal Act" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
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19: Basil Karlo etc. al - Clayface ("Detective Comics" #40)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Clay" ("Legends of the Dark Knight" #89 - #90)
2: "Mortal Clay" ("Batman Annual" #11)
3: "The Mud Pack: Men of Clay" ("Batman" #604 - #607)
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "Feat of Clay" Parts 1 & 2 (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "Mudslide" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
3: "Growing Pains" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
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18: Sandra Woosan - Lady Shiva ("Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter" #5)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Blood Matters" ("Batgirl" #71 - #73)
2: "Knightsend" Part 1 - "Spirit of the Bat" ("Batman" #509)
3: "Progeny" ("Birds of Prey" #92 - #95)
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17: Roman Sionis - Black Mask ("Batman" #386)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Black Mask: Losing Face" ("Batman" #386)
2: "Under the Hood" ("Batman" #635 - #641)
3: "Relentless" ("Catwoman" #12 - #19)
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16: Kirk Langstrom - Man-Bat ("Detective Comics" #400)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Challenge of the Man-Bat" ("Detective Comics" #400)
2: "The Bride of Man-Bat" ("Detective Comics" #407)
3: "Man-Bat Madness" ("Detective Comics" #416)
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "On Leather Wings" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "Terror in the Sky" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
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15: Floyd Lawton - Deadshot ("Batman" #59)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Villains United" #1 - #6
2: "Batman: War Games"
3: "Batman: Cacophony"
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "The Enemy Below" Part 1 (from "Justice League: The Animated Series")
2: "Task Force X" (from "Justice League: Unlimited")
* "Deadshot" (from "Batman: Gotham Knight")
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14: Hugo Strange ("Detective Comics" #36)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Prey" ("Legends of the Dark Knight" #11 - #15)
2: "Batman: Strange Apparitions"
3: "Batman and the Monster Men"
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
* "Batman: Arkham City"
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13: Waylon Jones - Killer Croc ("Batman" #357)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Killer Croc: Fast Train to the Wet Dark" ("Batman" #521 - #522)
2: "Samsara Part One: Bad Karma" ("Batman: Gotham Knights" #3)
3: "Batman: Arkham Asylum - Tales of Madness" #1
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "Vendetta" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "Freakshow" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
3: "Love is a Croc" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
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12: Victor Zsasz ("Batman: Shadow of the Bat" #1)
Prominent Stories:
1: "The Last Arkham" ("Batman: Shadow of the Bat" #1 - #4)
2: "The First Cut Is The Deepest" ("Batman Chronicles" #3)
3: "Knightfall" Part 3 - "Red Slash" ("Batman" #493)
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11: Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot - The Penguin ("Detective Comics" #58)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Penguin: Triumphant"
2: "Snow and Ice" ("Detective Comics" #610 - #611)
3: "Batman" #287
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "I've Got Batman in My Basement" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "Birds of a Feather" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
3: "Blind as a Bat" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
4: "The Mechanic" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
5: "Joker's Millions" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
6: "The Ultimate Thrill" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
7: "Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman"
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10: Selina Kyle - Catwoman ("Batman" #1)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Selina's Big Score"
2: "The Cat File" ("Catwoman" #15 - #19)
3: "Catwoman: When In Rome"
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "The Cat and The Claw" Parts 1 and 2 (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "Cat Scratch Fever" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
3: "Tyger, Tyger" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
4: "Catwalk" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
5: "Batgirl Returns" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
6: "You Scratch My Back" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
7: "Cult of the Cat" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
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9: Pamela Lillian Isley - Poison Ivy ("Batman" #181)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Hot House" ("Legends of the Dark Knight" #42 - #43)
2: "Leaves of Grass" ("Batman: Shadow of the Bat" #56 - #57)
3: "Gotham Central" #32
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "Pretty Poison" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "Eternal Youth" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
3: "Harley and Ivy" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
4: "House and Garden" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
5: "Chemistry" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
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8: Bane ("Batman: Vengeance of Bane" #1)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Batman: Vengeance of Bane" #1
2: "Batman: Knightfall"
3:"Bane of the Demon"
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "Bane" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "Over the Edge" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
3: "Knight Time" (from "Superman: The Animated Series")
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7: Jonathan Crane - The Scarecrow ("World's Finest Comics" #3)
Prominent Stories:
1: "As the Crow Flies" ("Batman" #626 - #630)
2: "Batman: Haunted Knight"
3: "Fear for $ale" ("Detective Comics" #571)
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "Nothing to Fear" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "Fear of Victory" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
3: "Dreams in Darkness" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
4: "Never Fear" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
5: "Over the Edge" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
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6: Harleen Quinzel - Harley Quinn ("Batman: The Animated Series" - "Joker's Favor")
Prominent Stories:
1: "Batman: Mad Love"
2: "Harley Quinn" #1 - #38
3: "Friends" ("Gotham City Sirens" #23 - #25)
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "Joker's Favor" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "Harley and Ivy" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
3: "Harlequinade" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
4: "Harley's Holiday" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
5: "Mad Love" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
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5: Edward Nymga - The Riddler ("Detective Comics" #140)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Dark Night, Dark City" ("Batman" #452 - #454)
2: "When Is A Door..." ("Secret Origins" #1)
3: "Question's Multiply the Mystery" ("Detective Comics Annual" #8)
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "What Is Reality?" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
3: "Riddler's Reform" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
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4: Victor Fries - Mr. Freeze ("Batman" #121)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Snow" ("Legends of the Dark Knight" #192 - #196)
2: "White Christmas" ("Batman Adventures" Holiday Special)
3: "Batman: Mr. Freeze"
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "Heart of Ice" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "Deep Freeze" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
3: "Cold Comfort" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
4: "Meltdown" (from "Batman Beyond")
5: "Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero"
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3: Ra's Al Ghul (The Demon's Head) ("Batman" #232)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Batman: Birth of the Demon"
2: "Contagion"
3: "Tower of Babel" ("JLA" #43 - #46)
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "The Demon's Quest" Parts 1 and 2 (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "Avatar" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
3: "The Demon Reborn" (from "Superman: The Animated Series")
4: "Out of the Past" (from "Batman Beyond")
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2: Harvey Dent - Two-Face ("Detective Comics" #66)
Prominent Stories
1: "Batman: The Long Halloween"
2: "Batman: Faces"
3: "Two of a Kind" ("Batman: Black and White" #1)
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "Two-Face" Parts 1 and 2 (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "Shadow of the Bat" Parts 1 and 2 (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
3: "Second Chance" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
4: "Sins of the Father" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
5: "Judgment Day" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
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1: The Joker ("Batman" #1)
Prominent Stories:
1: "Batman: The Killing Joke"
2: "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge" ("Batman" #251)
3: "The Laughing Fish!" ("Detective Comics" #475)
Prominent Animated Episodes:
1: "Christmas with the Joker" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
2: "The Last Laugh" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
3: "Be A Clown" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
4: "Joker's Favor" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
5: "The Laughing Fish" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
6: "Joker's Wild" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
7: "Make 'Em Laugh" (from "Batman: The Animated Series")
8: "Joker's Millions" (from "The New Batman Adventures")
9: "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker"
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